Cykus w



(No Model.)

0. W. SALADEE.

Road Wagon. No. 233,437. Patented Oct. 19, I880.

J 3 r 1 I5 3 I gzw N PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS \V. SALADEE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ROAD-WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,437, dated October 19, 1880.

Application filed August 4, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GYRUs W. SALADEE, of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented an Improvement in Road-Wagons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of roadwagons the running-gears of which are constructed without the employment of a rigid perch; and it consists in the construction and application of a spring-perch composed of two springs arranged in a line, one before the other, of a new mode of applying diagonal stays, and of other improvements, fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a running-gear as will represent the first part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a half plan view of the same; Figs. 3 and 4, a modification; Fig. 5, a side elevation of another modification of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the axle-stays extended diagonally from the center of the spring-perch to the opposite ends of the rear axle; Fig. 6, a half plan View of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 a detached top view of the front end of the axle-stays.

The outside springs, A, are hung to the bolster and rear axle, and are connected by cross-bars D D, (preferably made of steel,) said bars serving the double purpose of carrying the body and of supporting the central portion of the spring-perch. The front spring, B, of the perch has its front end hinged near the central portion of the front axle, and its rear end is bent up and bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the cross-bar D. The rear spring, B, has its rear end hinged at or near the center of the rear axle, Fig. 1, and its front end bent up and rigidly secured to the cross-bar D. The curve of the main body of the springs B and B, no matter how their inner ends may be secured to the cross bar or bars D, above them, is preferably on a line parallel, or nearly so, to the side springs, A, thereby preventing the rotation of the axles. The perch-springs B and B are further stayed in relation to the side springs by the interposition of stays O O, which may be transverse or diagonal, and the outer ends of which are rigidly secured to the side springs, and their center portion depressed and extended to the perch-springs. The entire spring-platform is thus rigidly secured at its cross-center portion, and all the springs compelled to act in unison, preventing the rotation of the axles and undue side or tilting motion to the body.

In Fig. 3 I show the perch-springs united by a brace, L, of a different form, a detached side view of which is seen in Fig. 4. This brace L passes over the ends of the perchsprings and the cross-bars D D, and the ends are bent down and rigidly attached to the body of each section of the spring-perch, Fig. 3. Under some circumstances this is a much cheaper way of bracing the spring-perch to the cross-bars and side springs than that seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and applicable to either modification here shown.

By reference to the side view, Fig. 5, it will be seen that the rear end of the front perchspring, B, is extended, bent up and passed over the top of the rear cross-bar, D, and terminates in the eye 0,.for the reception of the front ends of the axle-stays S when the latter are to be used; but in their absence the eye is omitted. The rear end of the-perchspring B is hinged or linked to the rear axle, as at F, and extended up and over the rear end of the front spring, B, and is passed over the front cross-bar, D, and bent down and attached to the body of spring B, as at J. In this modification it will be seen that the peculiar formation of the inner ends of the perch-springs and their combination with the cross-bars D D make each spring a brace to the other when united as shown, while the connection of the rear end of the center spring to the axle by a link admits of its action independently of the side springs.

The superiority of a spring-perch composed of two separate sections, as herein set forth, will be understood by all practical carriagebuilders, from the fact that as the greater part of the load, as usually placed in buggies and other spring-wagons, is back of the cross-center of the running-gear, a correspondinglygreater spring-power must be provided for the rear than for the front end of the same. In vehicles having only continuous longitudinal springs it is very difficult to provide for this contingency; but with a spring-perch composed of two sectionsarranged on a line, I can vary the carrying capacityof either end of the spring according to the requirements.

The rear end of each of the stays Sis hinged to a shackle near the shoulder of the rear axle in such mannerthat the front ends of the stays shall be carried higher than their rear ends, enough so that when the front ends are depressed with the side springs in a vertical line, the rear ends will be forced backward to the same degree that the rear half of the side springs are elongated, or nearly so.

By the combination of the side springs spring-perch B, hinged by a link to the rear axle, and the axle-stays S, hinged to the rear axle and to the central portion of the springperch on a. plane below the side springs, I prevent the rotation of the rear axle, and also brace the latter in its right-angle position to the central spring underall circumstances, and prevent the rear wheels from beingthrown out of track,no matter how much eitherof the side springs may be elongated or depressed.

Through the front ends of the axle/stays S S two bolts are passed, as shown from a top view in Fig. 7, the first one to take the eye, as at 0, Fig. 5, and the rear bolt, P, is to serve as a safety-bolt in case the first one is broken, as well as to assist in holding the front ends of the stay together.

1 am aware that a. bent spring has been connected to the axle and to the semi-elliptic spring of the continuous spring-perch; but in this case the bent springs constitute the perch in themselves, while either end of said perch may be of any desired rigidity.

Without limiting myself to the precise arrangements of parts shown,

I claim- 1. The combination, in a road-wagon, of the main-body supporting-springs and perch, consisting of two sections or springs arranged longitudinally, connected at their outer ends to the front and rear axles, respectively, and at their inner ends to the cross bar or bars, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the main-body supportin g-sprin gs A and a supplemental spring in two sections, one in front of the other, and of different degrees of rigidity, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the cross bar or bars, ot' the longitudinal brace L, bent down at each end and attached to the sections of the divided spring-perch B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination,inaroad-wagon,ofmain springs, a spring-perch having its rear portion linked to the rear axle, audinclined axle-stays S S, having their rear ends hinged to the rear axle and their front ends connected to a hearing upon the spring-perch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: CYRUS W. SALADEE.

GIDEON II. WELCH, \ViLLIAM PAXTON. 

